For Referral Partners

A Bridge Your Clients Can Count On

Probation officers, DOC discharge planners, and treatment center staff refer people to Fresh Start Housing because the transition out of incarceration, inpatient treatment, or crisis often determines whether someone succeeds or falls back into the same cycle. We built this program to be that bridge, and we work directly with the professionals managing that transition to make the handoff as smooth as possible.

What We Provide

Fresh Start Housing offers stable, structured transitional housing paired with a 15-month financial literacy program tailored to each resident’s specific circumstances. Residents receive housing, utilities, food, and program amenities at a single, transparent tuition cost. In exchange, they commit to full-time employment or part-time employment paired with full-time schooling, weekly financial literacy instruction, mandatory savings, and continued engagement with any outside treatment or support services already in place.

We do not ask residents to choose between our program and their existing providers. Continued care with outside providers is a requirement, not an option, because we recognize that stability depends on keeping those relationships intact during the transition.

Who We Accept

• Ages 20 to 50, with age waivers considered on a case-by-case basis
• Individuals working with the Department of Correction before discharge
• Referrals through probation or parole
• Individuals in recovery with 90 days of sobriety following discharge
• Individuals enrolled in a titration program as part of medication-assisted treatment

Clients do not need to be homeless or facility-discharged to qualify. We also work with people at risk of homelessness before a crisis point is reached.

We do not accept couples, and residents may not keep pets due to the shared living environment.

How to Refer a Client

Referrals begin with a phone call to set up an introduction and interview appointment. If your client is currently incarcerated or in a treatment program and cannot travel, we can conduct this interview by Zoom. We ask that clients themselves take responsibility for scheduling and following through on this step, since building that ownership early is part of what makes the transition successful.

Call 765-598-5147 to begin, or 765-277-6986 as an alternate line. We are available outside standard business hours when your client’s situation requires it.

What Sets This Program Apart

Fresh Start Housing has operated for over 17 years with a tuition schedule that has changed only once since 2009. That consistency reflects a program built around long-term outcomes, not short-term revenue. We have never pursued a resident for nonpayment of tuition, choosing instead to work through financial setbacks the same way we teach residents to work through them: with a plan, not a penalty.

We track each resident’s progress individually rather than moving everyone through an identical process, which means the support we provide can flex around the specific barriers your client is facing, whether that’s employment, family reunification, recovery, or basic financial literacy.

Questions We’re Often Asked

Do you provide updates to referring officers or caseworkers? No. Once a resident is placed, we do not report back to referring officers or caseworkers. This is intentional. Residents need to feel secure in their own learning process without the added pressure of being monitored or reported on. Our communication with your office ends at the initial referral connection.

What happens if a resident’s placement doesn’t work out? If a resident and Fresh Start Housing determine together that the placement isn’t the right fit, we work out a move-out timeline based on what the resident identifies as necessary. Before they leave, we provide a list of landlords, community resources, and shelters to help them continue moving forward.

Fresh Start Housing Referral Guide